The Woods
by tokenblonde
Summary: After betraying Klaus in 'O Come, All Ye Faithful', Caroline finds herself incapable of sleep and without anyone to talk to. She stumbles out of bed only to find herself lost in the woods of Mystic Falls as a blizzard begins to brew. An unlikely subject comes to her rescue, and little does she know that not only does he find her, but he begins to find himself as well.
1. Silent Night

This is torturous

Electricity between both of us

And this is dangerous

'cause I want you so much

But I hate your guts

I hate you

So leave me in the cold

Wait until the snow covers me up

So I cannot move

So I'm just embedded in the frost

Then leave me in the rain

Wait until my clothes cling to my frame

Wipe away your tear stains

Thought you said you didn't feel pain

**Landfill by Daughters**

Caroline woke with a start only hours after she had finally managed to slip into some form of sleep after her conversation with Stefan. Her legs were wrapped entirely in her sheets and her pillows lay in every position other than under her head. She let out an exasperated sigh as she untangled her mess of legs and sheets and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Moments later, she was on her feet, pacing the length of her room and eventually coming to stand outside her closet. She rummaged through the clothes and settled on a pair of jeans, her favorite striped sweater, and knitted scarf. It seemed dressing herself was a chore, as she attempted to pull on her boots. Her dreams had been ridden with the images of her friends and mother, each looking at her with disappointment. Even Klaus's face had found its way in, and that fact alone made it the number one concern of her waking thoughts. Caroline was trying to believe what she did was right. She was trying to convince herself that Klaus was solely an evil, conniving monster whose only desires consisted of getting what he wanted by any means. Some part of her, though, however small it was, kept telling her, "No." Most of all, Caroline Forbes was trying to fool herself into believing that Klaus didn't deserve some understanding.

As she headed out the door into the brisk Mystic Fall's night, Caroline tried to think of anything else aside from Klaus but that only led to thoughts of Tyler which she couldn't deal with at the moment. She could usually distract herself with her Miss Mystic Falls duties or any of her volunteering positions, but tonight, she found that her thoughts always wondered in a different direction. She attempted stepping hard into the thin layer of frost to block out the noise of her own thoughts. She tried humming Christmas tunes to herself but nothing could drown out all the words trapped inside her head. Caroline was a talker. When she needed a problem resolved, she had to talk it out. But which of her friends would sit and listen as she explained her guilt for betraying Klaus because she believed, truly, that deep down Klaus might have a decent bone in his body? Any one of them would have her sipping vervain in an instant. So, instead of running to Stefan or Bonnie or even Elena, Caroline decided for the first time in her life, she would attempt to cope with her issues on her own.  
Ten minutes into her walk, though, she realized that it was a doomed attempt. After a very disappointing conversation with a squirrel, which ended with her apologies for his impending murder, Caroline was scrolling through her phone's contact list, desperate for someone to talk to. She even began to consider Damon until she shoved her phone back into her pocket as she realized just how irrational she was getting. As she began to turn back home, frustrated and defeated, a series of footsteps came up behind her. Caroline spun around, ready to throw her intruder up against a tree until she was caught around her arms with two powerful hands. Caroline straightened her back and lifted her chin in defiance as she came face to face with Klaus.

"Hello, sweetheart.", he murmured. His eyes traveling from Caroline's eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.

Caroline shivered at the close proximity, but the motive was lost to her. She told herself it was the shock of seeing Klaus still alive.

"If you're going to kill me, just do it." she stated.

Klaus said nothing at first, merely moved his hand to Caroline's cheek. She glared as his thumb slid across her cheek.

"I'm surprised, Caroline," he whispered, "that you still think so low of me and that you're so willing to die."

"Didn't anyone ever teach you playing with your food is rude?" she retorted.

Klaus merely smirked and begrudgingly removed his hand from Caroline's face. His clasped his hands behind his back and began to walk in the opposite direction of the girl who then soon began to follow him.

"Have I suddenly found myself in the willing company of Miss Caroline Forbes?", he taunted, casting an inquisitive look at her.

Caroline again lifted her chin in defiance, a sarcastic response ready to be dispatched.

"Well," he said, closing the distance between them and walking along side her, "I'll count myself lucky."

She bit her lip and looked down at the floor of the forest. A silence came over the party as they tread through the beginning of a light snow. Caroline could feel herself trying vainly not to let all of her thoughts spill out. Of all the people she had wanted to speak to, Klaus had unknowingly been her first choice, and his presence was making it quite clear.

"Caroline, love," Klaus asked, with a surprisingly genuine tone to his voice, "what's troubling you?"

Caroline shook her head earnestly in response.

He hesitated a moment before saying, "If it's about your vain attempt at betrayal..."

"I did the right thing.", Caroline rushed, the words falling over each other before she could feign any confidence in them.

"You don't sound so sure, sweetheart."

Caroline stopped slightly in her tracks, crossing her arms in defiance. Her face furrowed with thought as a thousand of them crossed her mind as she stared down at the ground. Did she mean it? Did she really think that she had done the right thing? Her logic told her yes, but her emotions kept tugging her in a different direction. She kicked at the snow in frustration, the frost cracking under her boots with a satisfying series of crunches.

"Look, Klaus..." she began, looking up only to realize she was alone.

"Klaus?", she called out, her voice sounding small against the gusts of snow.

Without any inclination of what to do, Caroline began to walk further into the woods. The snow had already covered up any tracks he may have left behind so she simply marched straight ahead of her. Sleet began to mix with the thick snow, pricking her in the face every second. Soon, it became so heavy that she could hardly see and the sound of her boots and the creaking of the dead trees sounded like nails against a chalkboard.

"Klaus!" she cried, "Klaus, seriously!"

Her only response was the groans of the forest around her. Caroline felt the uncomfortable burn of the tears that were threatening to spill. For the first time since her transition, Caroline felt utterly and horribly alone. If having no one to talk wasn't enough, being lost in a blizzard surely was. Oh, but if she was Elena, she would never have to worry about this happening. Some desperate and love-sick vampire would have surely already seen to her rescue by now. An endless stream of bitter, angry, and hurt thoughts began to flood her mind. She loved her friends to the stake, but at that moment, Caroline wished she could leave them all behind. She was tired of the endless arguments, selfish decisions, and senseless deaths. She just wanted to go home, sleep without night mares, and wake up to the simple life she had before: free of guilt, free of grief, free of constant heartache.

There was no point in holding back her tears at this point. Caroline collapsed against a tree in exhaustion, curling into peeling bark. Her chest heaved erratically and Caroline could feel her blood lust growing stronger. Even at that moment, though, Caroline still couldn't make the decision to turn it all off. She knew the second she did, she would completely lose herself and the one thing that set her apart from the others: unwavering strength. Even if she was completely alone, entirely lost, and a sobbing mess, Caroline knew that was something she couldn't give up.

Suddenly, a pair of arms lifted her from the ground and cradled Caroline. She looked up through her watery vision at Klaus, who gazed down at her with an unreadable expression.

"Come on, love," he murmured, "let's get you home."

Caroline nodded against his chest, allowing herself for only a moment to enjoy the contact. For a fleeting moment, she made no attempt to fight against the storm of feelings it instigated, but then gently pushed herself away, telling herself it was only a lapse in judgement because she was missing Tyler. She knew, though, that not making any attempt to remove Klaus's arm from around her shoulder as he directed their journey back to Caroline's was no incident relating to Tyler Lockwood.


	2. The Midnight Clear

With every small disaster

They say home is where your heart is set in stone

where you go when you're alone

Is where you go to rest your bones

It's not just where you lay your head

It's not just where you make your bed

As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?

So when I'm ready to be bolder,

And my cuts have healed with time

Comfort will rest on my shoulder

And I'll bury my future behind

I'll always keep you with me

You'll be always on my mind

But there's a shining in the shadows

I'll never know unless I try

**Home by Gabrielle Aplin**

As Klaus and Caroline finally reached the porch of the Forbes home, he slowly slid his arm from Caroline's shoulder. Caroline couldn't bring herself to look up at him, and instead toed the snow beneath her boots. She could feel Klaus's unnerving stare taking her in, and the seconds were excruciatingly long. She suddenly looked up, leveling her stare with Klaus's and squaring her chin.

"This night didn't happen," she began, "and things will go back to exactly how they were."

Klaus gave an amused chuckle, "Haven't had a chance to speak with Tyler, have you?"

Caroline blinked in surprised, her lips pursing.

"No," she said hesitantly, "no, he's not returning my phone calls."

Klaus merely nodded his head in response and Caroline felt a sudden anger swell up inside her.

"You're not going to hurt him." she growled.

Klaus's expression softened as his eyes analyzed Caroline's face.

"I'm not? What makes you so sure, Caroline?", he retorted.

Caroline took a step forward, and crossed her arms over her chest which began to rise and fall, quickened with emotion.

"You won't because.." she stated boldly, swallowing hard before the next part came out, "because I asked you not to."

"And what should your request mean to me, love? You, the same girl who simply serves as an alluring distraction at her friends' disposal, who tried vainly to betray me today. Why should I find it within my capabilities to spare your pathetic boyfriend?", he spat at Caroline, drawing closer to her as he seethed with rage.

"Because, Klaus," she yelled, not backing down from his threatening approach, "unlike the rest of the planet, I think you have some good in you. You've been hurt and angry and lonely too long for you to still see that."

Klaus shook his head in disbelief, his jaw clenching, "You are a stupid, blind, and naïve girl to put that belief in me, Caroline."

When he looked up at her, his eyes smoldered with an emotion that Caroline couldn't read but he refused to let herself back down.

"I think someone has to." she said, her tone becoming softer.

Silence fell over the two at these words, and their eyes met. Caroline's were soft but impassioned and Klaus's were, once again, unreadable. His hand wrapped around her upper arm, and his thumb rubbed circles over the fabric of her shirt.

"Either you will be the death of me, or I for you." he murmured. "May I show you something, Caroline, in the morning?"

All Klaus had to do was look at her for Caroline to agree. His face held more sadness than she had ever seen on another person. The Original looked defeated and tired.

"Thank you.", he said gently, releasing Caroline's arm. "Now, get some rest, love."

He turned and began to walk through the snow with his head down. The site reminded Caroline all too much of the day her father and her passed a stray dog on the road on a bitterly cold day. Caroline had begged her father to stop and pick up the poor animal, but he wouldn't allow it. A few days later, on the same road, Caroline saw the dog's lifeless body laying only a few yards away from where she had saw it.

"Klaus," she called out suddenly, surprising herself. It seemed to catch him off guard as well. "I can't make you walk home in a blizzard. Vampire speed or not, you look too pathetic for me to let you do that."

A wicked smirk broke out across Klaus's face.

"So, what do you suggest, love?", he teased as he approached the porch again.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and snapped, "We have a guest-room." She promptly turned around and entered the house, feeling Klaus follow behind her. She stalked through the house until she came to the guest room, only feet from her own. She jabbed a finger to the room and began to go towards her own room when she heard Klaus.

"Sweet dreams, sweetheart." he said simply, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Caroline let out a small smile as she came to her room and collapsed on the bed. She had just enough energy to slip off her boots and manage to change into some appropriate sleep wear before she began to nod off to sleep. The house so quiet, she could hear Klaus's fingers drumming on his chest and the shuffling of his body in his bed. The rhythmic tapping began to lull her to sleep, simple and easy and most importantly, without nightmares.

**Hello, readers! I just wanted to thank you all. I haven't written fanfiction in a long time, so to return to a good amount of positive feedback has been encouraging. I apologize for this relatively short chapter, but I couldn't compromise it with what will be Chapter 3 which will be much, much longer. So, that being said, thank you again and happy reading!**


	3. Breaking Down

I know you're a fighter  
But you never fought for me when I was a shelter  
So you're not heading home to me  
We could be closer, we could be closer  
When it's just us  
You show me what it feels like to be lonely  
You show me what it feels like to be lost  
I take your hand for you to let it go  
**Halycon by Ellie Goulding**

Caroline awoke to the soft light of the sun spilling into her room, edging up to her bed as she yawned and stretched herself out. She untangled herself from her covers and stepped over to the window, admiring the blanket of snow that had fallen over Mystic Falls. Leaving the window, Caroline plucked her favorite cardigan out of her closet, lazily threw it on, and inspected her reflection in her vanity's mirror. For some reason, she was expecting something to be different. She had let a 1,000 year old, murderous hybrid sleep in her guest room the night before, yet nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Her curly hair was a little flat from sleep, the makeup she had fallen asleep in wasn't too smeared, and her skin was wrinkled from the rumpled bed sheets as it would be any other morning. Everything felt too normal.

She left her bedroom, and looked towards the guest room. The door was open, but Caroline heard no sign of its occupant. She warily walked towards the doorway, where she saw Klaus at the window, over-looking the snow as she had been earlier. He had taken off the suit jacket he had been wearing last night, and his simple, white shirt was creased from sleep. Caroline leaned against the door frame, and took in the sight of the hybrid, arms crossed, and admiring the weather.

"Well," he began, without turning to acknowledge Caroline's presence, "looks as though we'll have to postpone the trip I had planned for us today."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond, but Klaus cut her off and turned to face her. He leaned against the adjacent wall, and took in Caroline's state. Klaus had never seen her like this. Her hair and makeup were leftover from the previous day and she was dressed in a pair of well-worn plaid pajama pants, a thin white tank top, and the cardigan he had observed she quite liked and yet she still looked as stunning as she had the night of the Mikaelson Ball. He noticed a slightly bashful look cross her face as she noticed his observation.

"Your mother has been calling for a good part of the morning," he continued, "I figured it wouldn't be in our best interest if I answered the phone."

Caroline's eyebrows knitted in confusion. Her mother hadn't made it home before Caroline did, but she had assumed that she had by the time she took her walk in the woods. Caroline ran into the kitchen where she had left her cell phone the night before and quickly dialed her mother's phone.

"Caroline?!" came her mother's worried voice over the receiver accompanied with a fit of static, "How are you? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, mom, I'm fine. Why? What's going on?" Caroline asked, as she heard Klaus enter the kitchen.

"That blizzard last night took us all off guard at the station. There's too much snow for us to get out just yet. The roads are inaccessible, power lines are down, and it might be awhile before anyone is able to get anywhere," sighed Liz, frustrated with the situation.

"Great," Caroline muttered, looking back at Klaus who held up his hands in defense.

"Please stay inside, Caroline," Liz pleaded, "Vampire or not, I don't want you out there in this. There's supposed to be another round of it tonight. Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

Caroline could hear her mother's hesitance as she asked that question, for both of them knew all too well of Caroline's storm anxiety. She absolutely hated being left alone during any kind of storm, and even felt uncomfortable when she was home alone during a light rain.

"S-s-sure," Caroline stuttered, suddenly becoming nervous. Klaus came around Caroline and leaned against the counter next to her.

"Caroline, I can try and-," Liz began, as Caroline's eyes met Klaus's.

"No," Caroline stated with a little more confidence, keeping her eyes on Klaus, "No, I think I'll be okay."

Her mother persisted, unknowing of her daughter's company, but Caroline eventually convinced her that she would be fine and not to worry. The phone call ended right as Liz began to ask for the fifth time.

"So," began Klaus, "shall I keep you company today or would you rather I leave?"

Caroline pushed back her shoulders, and crossed her arms.

"No," she responded curtly, "you'll be staying here."

Klaus chuckled in amusement at Caroline's resolve.

"But not because I'm scared to be alone," Caroline rushed, "because I'm not! I just-"

Klaus raised a taunting eyebrow.

"It's so I can keep an eye on you," Caroline huffed, glaring at him, "Tyler still hasn't called me, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until I hear from him."

"Certainly, love." Klaus smirked, but Caroline caught a strange look cross his face.

Caroline brushed past him and opened the refrigerator to grabbing two blood bags. She tossed one haphazardly in Klaus's direction. Klaus stared down at the bag in disgust, and then looked up at Caroline who was happily drinking hers.

"What?" she asked innocently, a smug look beginning to break out across her face.

"You do know that it would be all to easy for me to walk out your front door and go catch a real meal?"

Klaus caught the flash of terror in Caroline's eyes, but she quickly masked it with feigned fear.

"And leave me all by myself?" she asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

The two stared at each other, sizing up the other's determination.

"Where is the bourbon?" he muttered in response, defeated.

* * *

It hadn't been too long after breakfast that Caroline discovered the TV couldn't pick up any channels. She pulled out the Forbes DVD collection and began to sort through her favorites, attempting to make a decision on which to watch. Klaus was seated on the couch, amused with her inability to pick a movie. In frustration, she huffed and set down the movie she had been holding.

"Problem, love?", Klaus asked, trying not to chuckle at Caroline's dismay.

"Hugh Jackman or Brad Pitt?", she began to murmur, ignoring Klaus.

After several minutes, she snapped her head around to glare at Klaus, who regarded her with an inquisitive eyebrow raise.

"Brad Pitt?", Klaus offered.

"No, no, no," Caroline snapped, turning back to her DVDs, "Hugh Laurie?"

Caroline was slightly on edge. Klaus Mikaelson was sitting on her couch, alone with her, as she tried to pick out a movie to watch. It felt much too domestic for her liking, and his constant gaze didn't help the matter. She wanted to give Klaus a chance. She wanted to give him the opportunity to prove himself, but this was not how that process was supposed to go.

"How about I decide?" came Klaus's voice, pulling Caroline from her thoughts.

"Fine!" cried Caroline, throwing up her hands in defeat.

Before she could pull herself up to her feet, Klaus appeared in front of her, offering his hand. Caroline eyed it hesitantly, but slowly slid her hand into his. Her hand was swallowed up in his rough but gentle grasp as he gracefully pulled her up. For a fraction of a second, Caroline's body came against Klaus's and the strange feelings his touch had given her last night returned. She looked up at him, only to be already met by his intense stare. She began to pull her hand from Klaus's grasp but Caroline couldn't tear herself away from his eyes. They looked softer than they had the night before.

"Sit," he murmured, as his eyes left hers and trailed along the DVD on the floor and his hand releasing hers.

Caroline stepped over to the couch in a slight daze. She wrapped one of the blankets around herself, as if protecting herself from the onslaught of emotions she was experiencing. That morning, she had been looking for something to be different and she had finally found it. Klaus didn't look as threatening or guarded as he usually did. She watched him carefully as he quickly picked a movie from the collection and slid it into the DVD player. When he turned back to return to the couch, Caroline shifted her attention to the TV. Klaus seated himself a respectable distance from Caroline, but she couldn't help feel that distance was inappropriate but whether he was too close or too far, she couldn't decide. She focused intently as the movie began, and then a wave of horror overtook her.

'You have got to be kidding me,' she thought to herself, as Pride and Prejudice began to play.

She rounded her attention on Klaus, who continued to watch the movie unfazed.

Caroline pushed herself back into the sofa, a flurry of thoughts crashing through her head. He did this on purpose. He had to. Klaus obviously believed that he was like some Mr. Darcy for Caroline or something. There was no way Caroline was going to fall for his trick, though. No way would she ever consider that the intolerable, rude, and arrogant Klaus was anything like the misunderstood, romantic, and gentle Mr. Darcy.

But hadn't she just been thinking that the hybrid was misunderstood last night? Isn't that why she reached out to him? And his touch really was quite gentle...

'No,' Caroline snapped at herself, 'This is exactly what he wants. He's trying to get under my skin.'

The movie progressed and Caroline began to push the thoughts away as she wrapped herself up in the romance of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. She was so engrossed by the time of Mr. Darcy's "most ardent" confession to Elizabeth, that she hadn't even realized she was crying.

"Caroline?", she heard Klaus ask, concern laced in his voice.

His voice broke Caroline out of her focus. She turned towards Klaus before taking notice of the hot tears that were trailing down her cheeks. Embarrassed she quickly went to dab at them, but Klaus impulsively caught her wrists and moved closer to her on the couch. His hands left her wrists and rested along her jawbone as his thumbs traveled across her face, wiping away the tears. Caroline eyes darted across his face, as he his eyes moved from her wet cheeks to her eyes. Then, in a second, his hands returned to his lap as continued watching the movie. Caroline was stunned at the intimate act and reeled from the feeling of her face in Klaus's hands. The same hands that could have just as easily snapped her neck. Yet, there she had been, being cradled by them.

After the incident, Caroline couldn't regain her focus. She could barely stop herself from eyeing Klaus, who seemed to be as into the film as she had been before. She enjoyed watching him watching the movie. His expression was relaxed and a small, contagious smile played on his lips. She didn't know how long she had been staring at him when the end credits began to roll and his attention finally turned back to her. Caroline looked down bashfully and gave a small cough.

"So," she said, attempting to break the silence, "I didn't know you were a Jane Austen fan."

She wanted to kick herself for how lame it sounded.

Klaus smirked, but not in his typical haughty way. It could have almost been considered a smile.

"Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites. Next to Gone with the Wind, of course."

Klaus let the small lie slip out before he could reconsider it. Though Pride and Prejudice had been one of his favorite books and films, he had never fancied Gone with the Wind too terribly much; he had just overheard a conversation between Tyler and one of his hybrids about Caroline's love for it. Klaus couldn't feel too guilty for the fib, though, because it was worth the sweet, approval smile he earned from Caroline.

"We can watch that next," she said softly.

Caroline stood up and picked up the DVD, switching it out with Pride and Prejudice. When she came back to the couch, Klaus noticed with pleasure that she sat a little closer to him than she had been before.


End file.
